Ms Mahy, whose son Julian (6) is an asthmatic, will have to pay just $200 towards the cost of insulating her Highcliff home.
With only half of the home insulated, this winter was a difficult time for the pair.
"Julian's asthma is definitely worse when it's cold, so it was a tough winter," Ms Mahy said.
The St Brigid's School pupil had to have quite a few days off school during the colder months.
"Julian is quite a bad asthmatic, so we have a very aggressive programme of treatment in place if something does trigger his asthma.
"Anything that will help to keep him warm and well will be very welcome," she said.
The stay-at-home mum, who is looking for work at present, could not have covered the cost of insulating her home without the scheme.
Working through the referral process with the Otago Asthma Society and the PHO had been streamlined and "really easy", Ms Mahy said.
The house had been assessed and she was now waiting for the work to begin.
"We're looking forward to a much better winter next year."Under the programme, Well Dunedin PHO will top up the EECA Energywise home grant entitlement for families assessed and referred by the Otago Asthma Society.
The EECA grant for Community Services Card holders stands at 60 per cent of the total cost of insulation and Well Dunedin PHO will contribute most of the rest.
Home owners, who must be Community Services Card holders and meet other criteria, will pay only $200 toward the total cost.
"The health of families is our focus, so we only require a small contribution from home owners who meet the criteria," programme manager Abby Nolan said.
The scheme is also open to landlords whose tenants hold Community Services Cards and are referred by the Otago Asthma Society.
Landlords are required to contribute 33 per cent of the total cost of insulation.
According to EECA EnergySmart figures, the average cost of insulating a home was $3600, so the PHO had based its subsidy on that.
The funding could be used for ceiling and underfloor insulation, with consideration given to heating devices on a case-by-case basis, Miss Nolan said.
After the first 15 to 20 families and landlords were assisted, the programme would be evaluated.
If all went well, the PHO planned to contribute to the insulation of 60 Dunedin homes during the next two years, she said.
Requests for comment from EECA EnergySmart representatives were unsuccessful yesterday.
Otago Asthma Society community field worker Jo Torrance was pleased to have been approached by the Well Dunedin PHO to be involved in the scheme.
"Anything that assists families or people to gain access to cheaper insulation is good," Mrs Torrance said.
Although the World Health Organisation recommended homes should be heated to 18degC, studies of New Zealand homes had showed that indoor winter temperatures dropped as low as 12 to 13degC.
"The benefits of a warmer, drier home for people with asthma is well-documented," she said.
"Even altering the temperature by just one degree results in significant improvement in people's overall health."
For further information, contact your general practice, Well Dunedin PHO, or the Asthma Society.
Access to this service for patients affected by the move of some Well Dunedin PHO general practices to the Taieri & Strath Taieri PHO is under review.
